


"So I Guess Nobody Has it All Together"

by Alicin_Wonderland



Category: Empire Records (1995)
Genre: Eating Disorders, F/F, F/M, Sexual Content, Teen Pregnancy, Unplanned Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-02-28
Updated: 2015-03-07
Packaged: 2018-03-15 15:46:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 5,865
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3452864
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alicin_Wonderland/pseuds/Alicin_Wonderland
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Only two months after the Empire Records crew yelled "Damn the man, save the Empire" and succeeded, they face more personal problems. Warning for mild to intense sexual content, thoughts of suicide, and discussions about eating disorders. </p>
<p>I do not own Empire Records or the characters.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Corey

Corey held the thin plastic stick in her shaking hands. She rested her head on the edge of the bathtub, tears threatening to flow down her cheeks at any minute. Corey let them. She glanced at the white plastic one more time and she studied the pink plus sign on the end of the white stick. Positive. It means positive. Could it be a false positive? No, it's been too long.  
Corey carefully placed the white stick in the box again. The box was so pink and colorful and cheerful, most people are happy about this. Corey wasn't. She was supposed to go to Harvard and graduate and live happily ever after with AJ. A baby would ruin this.  
"No, no, no, no," Corey whispered as she brushed some of her long brown hair behind her ear. She looked in the mirror and put one hand on her abdomen. There is a thing in there, she reminded herself. Corey blinked away a few stray tears and sniffled a few times. 

What do I tell AJ? Corey thought to herself.

Corey finally dragged her eyes from her slightly less distraught reflection to focus on her watch. It was 11:37, only twenty-three minutes to make herself presentable. Corey went through the mechanical motions of pulling on a lime green and black skirt, a gray belly shirt, and thick black boots. She brushed her brown hair, letting it hang loose. By now she only had ten minutes to get to work and her eyes were no longer tinged pink.  
Gina was working a slightly different shift so Corey had to walk to work alone. 

AJ will be there, Corey thought, and he'll greet me with a kiss and Gina with open a box of M&M's and life will go on as it should.

A few minutes later, Corey entered Empire Records through the back door, head down, staring at her feet. She punched in, trying to loosen her stiff motions and make everything seem less surreal.

"Corey, I need you to restock the shelves today," Joe said, exiting his office. He gave her a once over. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, Joe, I'm fine," Corey replied half-heartedly, attempting at a fake smile.

"Are you sure?"

No, I'm a knocked-up pre-Harvard student, Corey thought. "Yeah, Joe. I promise."  
Joe nodded, but wasn't convinced. 

Corey progressed to restocking the shelves. She was placing a Nirvana album on the shelf when hands wrapped around her waist.

"Hey, beautiful," AJ murmured, his breath tickling her ear. "How's it going?"

"Much better," Corey replied and she kissed him in an effort to escape those big puppy dog eyes and soft smile. Corey pulled away, "Someone needs to go wake Berko up, ya know."

"Well that's better than listening to Marc try to sing," AJ said, looking at their weird and most likely stoned friend. His arms slipped from around Corey's waist and he kissed her ear, "I'll be back."


	2. A.J.

AJ woke Berko up and then went back into the store to ask Joe if he could borrow his office. Joe wasn’t there so AJ dropped down and picked up the phone and dialed a number.   
“Hello?” AJ said.   
“Hello,” responded a male voice.   
“Hi, I am calling about an application for a scholarship I sent in a few weeks ago.”  
“Name?”  
“Andrew Whitworth,” AJ told him, slightly embarrassed that he had to give his full first name. He heard papers rustling around in the background a few quick pecks on a keyboard. He tapped his fingers on Joe’s desk nervously, this was the last scholarship application he had. It was the last chance for him to be able to get into a school near Corey.   
“Ah, yes, here we go,” the man on the phone said. A paper crinkled. “I’m sorry, Mr. Whitworth, your application has been - “  
“AJ! What are you doing in my office?!” Joe snapped as he opened the office door.   
AJ waved it off and gave Joe a pleading look.   
“Denied,” the man finished.   
“Why?” AJ cried into the phone.   
“You will have to talk to the head of the administrations for that information. I believe your grades had something to do with it. Good day.”   
AJ slammed the phone down into the cradle and shoved past Joe.   
“Where are you going?” Joe called after him.  
“To fix the sign.”   
AJ stormed up to the roof where he found Berko strumming his guitar and drinking a bottle of whiskey. Berko took a swig and nodded at him.   
“Can I have some?” AJ asked him. Berko handed him the bottle. “Thanks.” He wound forgetting about the broken sign and downing the entire bottle of whiskey.   
“Ya know,” AJ slurred to a concerned looking Berko. “I can’t, umm, get a scholarship to a school near that big fancy school where Corey’s goin’.”   
“Harvard?”  
AJ shook his finger at Berko and stood up, stumbling around. “That’s the one.”   
“AJ, I think we need to get you down to the couch.”  
“Welllllll, Berko, I don’t think that at all. Joe, uh, asked me to fix the sign this mornin’.”   
“AJ, c’mon, man. You’re gonna hurt yourself,” Berko told him and grabbed his arm.   
“Fine, whatever you say big shot rockstar,” AJ slurred sarcastically.   
Berko led AJ downstairs and put him on the couch without the customers seeing him.   
“What’s wrong with AJ?” Joe asked, brow furrowed.   
“He’s drunk...”  
“He’s WHAT? What is going on around here, Berko? AJ is drunk. Corey came in looking like she had been crying all night. Something is going on between Deb and Gina -- not to mention Gina has been looking sick for a while. Jane and I...she’s...Tomorrow, everybody better have their asses in here so we can get back to normal!” Joe finished his rant and returned to his office. He poked his head out of the office a second later. “Cover AJ’s shift.”  
Berko groaned.


	3. Deb

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warning - Mild sexual content, swearing.

Deb parked her yellow Vespa behind Gina's house and pulled her helmet off her head. Her hair was returning faster than expected, banishing the "Neo-Nazi-boot-camp haircut." Deb straightened her plain black tank top and blue jeans. She still wasn't sure what her relationship with Gina was. She was reluctant to refer to her as a girlfriend but Gina was sure as Hell more than just a friend. Like AJ had been before he pronounced his love for Corey.  
Deb pulled away from her thoughts and knocked on the back door twice. Gina's mother was rarely home, so she didn't feel the need to sneak around or throw pebbles at the window or whatever. It was already one o'clock so Gina was already off work and Deb had a few hours before her shift started.  
Gina opened the door with a smile on her face. Deb leaned in and kissed her before even crossing the threshold; it had been a particularly bad day. "Well, hello," Gina murmured, voice breathy.  
"Hi," Deb responded, meeting Gina's eyes. Deb pushed her way inside, closing the door behind her.  
Deb knotted her hand in Gina's hair, bringing the soft mouth towards her own and kissing her hard. Gina's lips parted and Gina pushed Deb against the wall. Her hands slid into Deb's back pockets as she leaned farther into the kiss.  
They parted for a second, breathing the air laced with each other's scent. Gina's perfume mingle with the smell of cigarettes coming from Deb. Deb still didn't understand why she was so fucking attracted to the person she used to snipe at on a daily basis. She remembered bitching and moaning to Berko about how peppy Gina was not-so-long ago. It was confusing, but in moments like these, Deb didn't care.  
Gina slid her hands out from Deb's back pockets and up her tank top, to the delicate skin on her rib cage. Deb was panting, her breath warm against the other girl's cheek. Gina sighed and Deb wrapped her hands around the back of her neck again, about to resume making out.  
Someone knocked on the front door and Deb jumped. The person knocked again.  
"Gina, I know you're home! It's Corey; I need someone to talk to!" Corey hollered outside. She must have left work early for some reason.  
Damn, Deb thought. She pulled away from Gina and bolted out the back door without a word. She waited until she heard Corey enter the house before she walked her Vespa to the street and headed for the record store. Nobody could tell she was crying at this speed.  
By the time she reached Empire her fear and frustration had turned into anger; an emotion she was more familiar with.  
I can't fucking be falling for Gina, Deb thought to herself. It wanted it to be me and Berko! Me and Berko! I used to love him! Not Gina, dammit!  
Deb flicked the kickstand down on her Vespa with more force than necessary. The smiling Devil AJ had painted next to the back entrance seemed to be taunting her, its wide smirk knowing. She kicked the wall without thinking and the throbbing through her toes made her regret it. Deb through the door to Empire open and strode inside, slamming her white helmet into the cubbie marker "Debra".  
"Hey, Deb, what's up?" Berko asked, dropping over the back of the old couch, guitar in hand.  
Just seeing the blossoming rock star sent a pang of guilt and shame through Deb. "Just the usual shit I have to deal with. How's the band?"  
"We're so close to getting a record deal, I can feel it. You know, one of our songs is about you," Berko's voice was flirty and he flashed a perfect smile at Deb.  
"I can guarantee that one won't get you anywhere," Deb replied, voice hard as she punched in her count out card. Deb through her employee ID around her neck and picked up a box of new CDs. "I need to head to the register, Corey left early."  
With that she left the room, fighting back the heat building behind her eyes.


	4. Joe

Joe was dangerously close to snapping.

Jane broken up with him the day before, to catch a flight to Paris. Joe had found out a few hours after that the flight to Paris had crashed somewhere over the ocean, killing everyone aboard. Joe hadn't told the gang yet, not that he knew how. Lately they had all seemed a little on edge and this could be the thing that would make them break. Joe loved them all - Lucas, AJ, Corey, Deb, Mark, Berko, they have their flaws but he had practically raised them.  
Joe dragged himself away from grief-stricken thoughts. He slammed a binder down on his desk which resulted in several papers fluttering to the ground. Joe growled in frustration. He yanked his chair over to his drum set, drum sticks in hand, and started playing.

Lucas and Berko's conversation stopped mid-sentence and they both stared at Joe's office door in awe. Lucas jumped up, knocked the phone of its place on the wall, and wrapped the cord around the door handle.

"Uh-oh," Lucas remarked. "Looks like Joe's got some issues."

Berko sprinted from the couch to the register, "Debra! "If You Want Blood"! Joe's having a bad day."

Deb hit a few buttons and all the sudden the store was alive with AC/DC's "If You Want Blood". 

The few customers, a couple of Mark's burnout friends, didn't seem to mind. Berko ran back into the break room and started playing his guitar in front of Joe's door, perfectly syncing to Joe's drums.

Lucas ran around, head banging and wailing on an air guitar. Deb danced on the register counter, momentarily distracted from her problems. AJ and Mark were stocking shelves and dancing down the aisles. It seemed to be the perfect portrayal of normalcy. Too bad none of them knew why Joe was playing.

By time the time Joe had stopped banging on the drums, tears were running, sticky and salty, down his cheeks, his mouth thick and hot, and a pulsing headache berated his skull. Jane, the one relationship he'd had his entire life that he had felt would work, was lying in a wreck at the bottom of the ocean.

He leapt from his seat and grabbed the plastic orange bottle from his desk drawer. He dumped the contents into his hand and stared at the white pills for a minute, until everything else faded around him. He began to raise the handful of pills to his mouth...

"Joe! You gotta play "Highway to Hell"!" Lucas yelled through the door. Berko began playing Highway to Hell on his guitar. Joe snapped out of his trance and dumped the pills back into the bottle, which he then threw into the trash.

Joe started playing Highway to Hell again, but this time he didn't cry because he knew that his gang of misfits needed him.


	5. Gina

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warning - Bulimia.

Gina jammed the end of her toothbrush into her throat and leaned over the porcelain toilet bowl. Her entire lunch made a second appearance and when she was done gagging and retching, she flushed it away. Gina leaned against the bathroom wall, shaking, and coughed.   
Never gets any easier, I suppose, she thought to herself.   
Her life had been so out of control lately between Deb and that whole blow out with Corey. A least this was something she could control, at least she had a handle on one thing. Plus, her mom was too busy drinking and puking herself to even notice. It was likely Deb didn't even care, Gina was just waiting for her to go back to Berko. She trotted down the stairs, after she brushed her teeth, to where Corey was curled on the couch. Corey had been eating nonstop since she had gotten to Gina's and, to keep appearances up, so had she.   
"So what do you need to talk about, Core?" She asked, plopping down onto the couch.   
Corey just straight up bursted into tears, "I'm- I'm pregnant!" Corey sat there shaking and sobbing for a few minutes before Gina grabbed her shoulders and looked her in the eyes.   
"What? Are you sure? Did you take a test?"  
"Yes, I'm sure. Of course I took a test! It came back positive!"   
"Let's get you a doctors appointment," Gina said. She walked into the kitchen and grabbed the phone. She dialed Planned Parenthood's number.   
"No, Gina! I cannot go to the doct -" Corey started.   
"Hi," Gina greeted into the phone. "I was wondering what your hours are for today?" She paused. "Mhmm. Eleven to eight? Yes? Okay. Is it busy today? No? Good. Thank you." She hung up. "Corey, grab your coat."  
"No! If I go, what if my parents find out? Gina! I cannot do this!"   
"Can't do what? Go to the doctors or raise a child?" Gina asked, sympathy clear in her hoarse voice.   
"Raise a child," Corey mumbled.   
"We'll worry about that in a while. And don't worry about your parents finding out, I'll give them my name. I've been there before. Lots of false positives. Lets go."   
And off they went, Planned Parenthood wasn't that far so they just walked. They walked in silence, an awkward, horrible silence. By the time they got to Planned Parenthood, Gina was winded and shaking. She wrapped her hands around her stomach and pretended she was trying to hold herself together. Her tolerance for physical activity was decreasing and she was always tired. They walked into the waiting room together and went to talk to the receptionist. She handed them a clip board with some forms on it and Gina filled them out with her information.   
"Um, I don't need to know this, but when...?" Gina trailed off, the end of the sentence hanging, unsaid, in the air.   
"The night of Empire's fundraiser." Corey muttered. Gina returned the forms to the receptionist and she told them someone would call shortly. Corey and Gina waited, fidgeting with their fingernails or twirling hair.   
"Gina Zellweger?" A nurse called out.   
"That's me, well, you," Gina said. "Let's go."   
The nurse led them into an exam room and did the basic temperature, blood pressure, and questions. She gave Corey a smile and told her the doctor would be in for the ultrasound shortly.   
"AJ doesn't know, does he?" Gina asked.   
"No, I don't know what to tell him," Corey sniffled.   
"The words, 'AJ, I'm pregnant' come to mind."  
"I can't just say that, I know he doesn't want a baby! I want to go to Harvard and he wants to go to art school. This would ruined everything!"   
Given that Corey came from a Catholic background, Gina didn't even point out abortion. A knock rattled the door and a doctor in her mid forties came in with the clipboard they had filled out. "Hello, Gina. I'm Doctor Martha Campbell."  
Gina bit down on a, "Hi." And Corey greeted her instead. She instructed Corey ("Gina") to lay back on the table and pull her shirt up.  
"This will be cold, " Dr. Campbell informed her and squirted weird jelly onto Corey belly. She pressed the ultrasound thing to Corey's belly and moved it around a bit, "There we go. See that?" - she pointed to a blue and black throbbing spot on the screen - "That's the baby's heartbeat. Now it's too early to tell if its a boy or a girl but everything looks normal so far."   
Corey nodded, not hearing much after the "baby's heartbeat" part. Gina looked at her in worry. The doctor handed Corey some forms and instructed her on diet and exercise changes. She printed out the ultrasound image and handed it to Corey and sent them on their way.   
"Where do you want to go?" Gina asked Corey. She noticed she was hungry but ignored it. Ignoring hunger had become a reflex for her these days.   
Corey shrugged, "Can't go home. Your mom might be home by now. I'm going to have to have Joe change my schedule so I don't have to run around all day sometime soon. We may as well go to the store."  
"Corey! What about AJ?"   
"He's at the store," Corey replied in a serious tone.   
"Then lets go."


	6. Berko

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warning - Cussing

Berko spent the day stocking shelves and vetoing Mark’s music choices. But, most importantly, he was avoiding Deb. Berko regretted fucking everything up between them - he took full responsibility. Now, he had no idea what was going on with her, but his biggest fear was that she’s suicidal again. 

Maybe I can get Corey to weasel something out of her, he thought. Or Gina. They seem closer than usual lately. He ran his hand through his thick black hair. I hope she’s okay. 

“Hey, man,” someone said from behind him. Berko set a Tool album down on the table. 

“What’s up?” It was the lead guitarist from his band, Coyote Shivers. 

“Look, man...I’m sorry, but I gotta quit the band. My dad passed away last week and someone’s gotta stay around to support my mom. I have to get a real job and I’m just not going to have time or flexible hours like you do. I’m really sorry.” 

“What?! No! There isn’t a label that will take up without you! We’ll have to record another album with a guitarist and we don’t have the money for that!” 

“I’m sorry, Berko...I already told the rest of the band. I gotta get going. Tell Deb I said hi.” He left Berko with his mouth hanging open and the dizzying reality that their band had, for all intents and purposes, been ended. 

“Dammit!” He yelled and slammed his fist down on the Tool album. It broke with a crunch. 

“That’s coming out of your paycheck,” Joe said as he walked by. 

Berko pulled out his wallet and threw the money on top of the pieces. He walked into the backroom where A.J., still thoroughly inebriated, was gluing pennies to the wall. 

“Berko!”

“I think Joe’s right. I think we do need a store meeting. I don’t even know what the fuck is going on anymore. I mean, you and Corey don’t even seem right anymore and you’re the golden couple.” 

“Man, I don’t want to talk about that. She’s been emotional and acting weird and just don’t talk about it.” 

“So has Deb. We might not be together anymore but...I think I love her.” 

The clatter of keys on the cement floor drew their attention away from the super-glued pennies. Deb was standing behind the two men with an expression on her face Berko had never seen before. 

“But you wouldn’t fucking say it when it mattered.”


	7. Deb x Gina

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warning - Sexual content

Gina knocked on the apartment door and waited for it to open; it was one in the morning and Deb had gotten off work less than an hour ago. She heard footsteps from inside the apartment and breathed a sigh of relief, there were some. . . Interesting characters that lived in Deb's apartment complex.   
Deb greeted her with a surprised look, kiss, and, "Oh, hey, baby."   
"Hey," Gina breathed as she slid into the apartment. She shut the door behind her and twisted the lock with a seductive look. “Care to pick up where we left off?”   
Gina wasted no time pressing her body against Deb's, her soft lips found the other woman's without a problem. Deb felt herself tearing the front of Gina's blouse open and little white buttons flew everywhere. Deb's hand tangled in blonde hair; pulling Gina close as her lips trailed down Deb's neck to her chest. Her mouth found it's way underneath the soft lace of her bra, down her ribs, to her belly button piercing. They then found themselves laying on the bed, Deb on top, as she kissed Gina for all the wrong reasons.  
Both were panting as Gina experienced things Deb could do with her tongue that she had never even imagined. Gina let out a moan as she felt the ball of Deb's tongue piercing roll up her stomach and back to her lips. "Oooh, God, I love you," the blonde sighed.   
Deb rolled over, now on top, and removed her low-cut tank top to reveal a lacy black bra. She leaned close to Gina's parted lips.   
"Let's save our Hallmark moment," she said, before continuing to slide her hands over the other girl. All Deb could think about was Berko, now, and she knew that was a special kind of fucked-up. Oh well, she just wanted to feel better.   
Her hands slid down to the button on the blonde's pants and she undid it, slowly unzipping her pants. This seemed to give Gina an idea as she pulled away and unbuttoned the other girl's pants. She pushed Deb over and onto the bed, and then, with a sexy smile, took the pants zipper in her teeth and pulled down. 

An hour later, they were both clothed and Gina was on her way out the door. “Oh, I meant to ask, what did Corey want earlier? She never came back to finish her shift.”

“She just needed to talk about some things. And she was going to go back in but she wasn’t feeling well.” That was sort of the truth. Corey had been stuck on the side of the road for twenty minutes with some serious morning sickness. After, she had been far too much of a mess to go to Empire and talk to A.J.  
“Okay, well, see you tomorrow.”  
“Don’t I get a kiss good-bye?” Gina asked, batting her eyelashes.   
Deb gave her a quick peck, avoiding her gaze.


	8. Corey x A.J.

It was early in the morning, just before eight, when A.J. picked Corey up from her house. Joe had called a mandatory meeting for the whole staff at 8:30 but hadn’t said why. A.J. vaguely remembered him saying something about it through the pain of his hangover. 

Corey slouched low in her seat and tried to ignore her small breakfast sloshing back and forth in her stomach. No matter what she ate, the thing inside of her was unhappy with it. She stared straight ahead, through the dirty windshield, to the perfect suburban homes and the perfect oak trees that accompanied them. 

Perfect; exactly what Corey had been trying to achieve the last eighteen years of her life. 

“Corey,” A.J. said, pulling his eyes from the road to look at her. “Are you okay? You seem upset and you look a little...green.” 

Corey hesitated for a second and then yelled, “Pull over!” 

The car jerked to the side and bumped up against a smooth curb. Corey threw open the door and leaned out, simultaneously throwing up her bagel and orange juice in one slimy brown mess. 

“Oh my god, Core!” A.J. leaned forward and pulled his girlfriend’s long curtain on hair away from her face as she gagged one last time. “I’m taking you home, you’re sick. You probably have a stomach bug or the flu or -” 

“A.J., stop, I’m not sick,” Corey said and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. She sat herself back up and slammed the door shut. “I’m not sick.”

“You just threw up on the side of the road, I think that constitutes being sick.” 

“It’s morning sickness...A.J., I’m...pregnant.”

A.J. blinked, leaned back into the seat, and closed his eyes. A heavy, uncomfortable silence filled up the car for a few minutes before A.J. said, “You’re sure?”

“Positive.”

He let out nervous laughter. “Pun intended?”

“Oh my god, how could you make a joke right now?”

“Sorry, I just...don’t know what to say. Do you know what you want to do?”

“No, I’m not sure. All I can think about is Harvard.”

“Harvard? Corey, what about us? What about our...family? Stop thinking about school for one second of your life and consider the fact that you have a living human being inside of you. Don’t let Harvard make another decision for you.” Corey couldn’t tell if A.J. was angry or not and, to be honest, he wasn’t sure either. 

She thought for a few minutes and A.J. reached for her hand, a small gesture of affection. “We aren’t prepared, we don’t have the resources, and this would change everything.”

“But would it change everything for the worse?”

“No, not necessarily...but would it change everything for the better?”

“I guess not.” 

“I think - I think I want to put it up for adoption.” 

“I’ll support whichever decision you make. If you want to keep it, I will get out of this car right now and get down on my knee. If you want to put it up for adoption, I’ll help you as much as I can. But it’s up to you, Core.” 

She took a deep breath and looked down at her stomach. I’m not ready for you, not right now, she thought silently. I wish I was but...I’m not. I’ll do what’s best for you, I promise. “I want to put it up for adoption.”

“Then that’s what we’ll do, okay?” A.J. leaned over and wiped away the tear that was trickling down Corey’s cheek. He kissed her and rested his forehead against her’s. 

“Okay.”

“I love you,” he said quietly, with more sincerity in his voice than Corey had ever heard.

“I love you, too.”


	9. Family: Part One

Deb dismounted her Vespa and wheeled it into the spot behind A.J.’s car. Gina was walking up the sidewalk, weaving side to side, but Deb pretended not to see her. Her mental state was a mess and she was starting to regret not succeeding with that Lady Bick two months ago.   
\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
Gina saw Deb park her scooter and she waved but her motion seemed to fall on blind eyes. She shrugged it off and stared at the cracks in the pavement, trying to keep steady. It had been three days since she had eaten and not purged. The dehydration was catching up but, frankly, Gina just didn’t care.  
\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
Berko emerged from his shack and glared at everywhere he had spray painted “Sex, Drugs, Rock and Roll”. Fuck all that, it would never get him anywhere. I’ll have A.J. paint over it, he thought. He sighed in anger, picked a dirty bottle off the ground, and, without a moment’s hesitation, whipped it against his house. It broke into a satisfying spray of brown glass. “Yeah, that’s fuckin’ right. That’s how I feel.”   
\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
Joe watched his employees - No, he watched his family - trickle into the store. A.J. and Corey showed up first and seated themselves together on the couch, followed by Deb, Gina, and the Berko. Joe finally had to tell them about Jane and the plane crash, but didn’t feel ready. He was going to need a push to tell them.   
\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
“I called this meeting because everyone seems to be on edge lately. I would appreciate knowing what the hell is going on,” Joe said, being perfectly honest with the teenagers. Everyone kept their eyes down, as if they all had something mesmerizing on their shoes Joe couldn’t see. “So, would anyone like to fill me in? We can't function as a store anymore.” The sound of crickets seemed to come out of the woodwork all the sudden. Joe cleared his throat and waited five minutes before talking again. “Look, I know something is going on. You’re practically my kids and, as far as I’m concerned, you’re family. Please, let’s try and get this out into the open. I’m sure we’ll all feel better.” 

“I don’t think we’re all having the same problem here, no offense, Joe,” Deb muttered without looking up. She was tugging on a loose string dangling from the elbow of her sweatshirt, expression blank, arms locked together over her chest. She looked pissed. 

Joe took a deep breath, maybe getting these guys to open up was worth this pain. “Jane and I broke up,” He said, voice flat. 

Everyone’s gazes flicked up to his face. “I’m so sorry, Joe,” A.J. said. 

“It’s completely her loss,” Gina said. “Anyone would -”

“You didn’t let me finish. Jane and I broke up and...did you hear about the plane that went down last week?” There was a series of nods and murmured acknowledgements. “She broke up with me to go to Paris.” Joe rubbed his eyes roughly. “She was on that plane.”

The whole group broke out into variations of “Joe, I’m so sorry” and “We didn’t know”. 

“I don’t want sympathy. I want you guys to know you can tell me things. And I want the store to start functioning again. We’ve been through this once, I think we’re close enough by now.” 

Gina looked around. “You’re right, Joe. The store is all I have.” 

“Me too,” Deb said.

“I can agree with that,” Berko mumbled.

A.J. and Corey looked at each other and then nodded at Joe. 

“So what is going on?”

Corey waited a second and then without thinking, blurted, “I’m pregnant!” And then her cheeks turned bright red and she hid behind her boyfriend. 

“It’s true...” Gina added. 

“You knew? Why didn’t you tell me?” Deb snarled. “Corey’s my friend, too.”

“Why would she tell you?” Berko asked. “You guys, like, hate each other.” 

Both girls clammed up and refused to look at a confused Berko. 

“Congratulations...?” Joe said gently. 

“We aren’t keeping it,” A.J. clarified. “We’re going to put it up for adoption.”

“Corey, if you need anything, let me know. I can switch your schedule for doctor’s appointments and whatnot.”

“Thanks, Joe,” whispered Corey from behind A.J.

“I have something to say, too,” A.J. admitted. “I didn’t get into art school.” 

“WHAT?” Corey yelled. “Why didn’t you tell me?”  
“I didn’t have time. I found out yesterday, but then I got drunk here - by, the way Joe I’m so sorry -”

“You got drunk on your shift?” Gina asked. “I would never even do that.”

“At least I didn’t fuck Rex Manning in the copy room.”

“Hey, hey, hey, you two,” Joe warned. “Stop it.” 

“I’m sorry, A.J.,” Corey said.

“Man, if it makes you feel any better, I’m in the same fucking boat. My band fell through and I don’t have the goddamn money to cover a new album. I don’t know what I’m going to do.” 

“Wait, what the hell happened to Coyote Shivers?” Deb exclaimed. “You guys were supposed to go right to the top and leave us idiots in the dust.”

“Our guitarist pulled out and completely wrecked out plans.”

“You always have a job here, Berko,” Joe assured him. “I feel better now, I don’t know about you guys but -”

“Wait,” Deb interrupted. “I have something to say and, well, you guys threw me a funeral a few months ago. We’re like family.” 

“What’s wrong Deb?” Berko asked, genuinely concerned for his ex...girlfriend?...fuckbuddy?

“I’m just...lost... lately and I know I’ve been taking it out on everyone here and I’m sorry. I don’t mean to lash out at you but I’m trying really fucking hard to feel something, you know? And I can’t. But when I do, I’m just angry. So, I’m sorry, to all of you,” Deb said and then turned to Gina. “And I’m sorry about how I’ve treated you. I’ve just been...using you...” she finally admitted. 

Hurt flashed across Gina’s eyes before she stood from her chair and wobbled on her feet. Gina closed the distance between her and Deb in three strides. “You’re a bitch!” she yelled and slapped Deb across the face, hard. “You stupid slut, I can’t believe you just said that in front of everyone!” 

“Gina, Gina, stop it!” A.J. cried as he pulled the frail blonde from the girl. He wrapped one arm around her waist and pulled her back. “Jesus, when was the last time you ate?” he asked, shocked by the feeling of her bones against his arm. She didn’t answer, instead she went limp and flopped back on to the couch, not meeting anyone’s eyes. 

“Wait, so you and her were...?” Berko said to Deb. 

“Yes, you dumbass. You lost your chance, okay? You fucked it up. Did you think I was going to wait around for you to get it together?”

“I didn’t think I turned you into a lesbian.”

Deb looked at him in disbelief. “You’re so stupid. I’m not a lesbian. And you can’t ‘turn’ someone into a lesbian.” 

“Gina, seriously, what have you been eating? You’re like a skeleton.” A.J. continued. 

“She hasn’t,” Deb said softly. 

“That’s not true! Yes, I have.” 

“Eating doesn’t mean you eat it and then throw it back up five minutes later.” 

“I hate you!” 

“Gina, is this true?” Joe asked her. 

“Of course it isn’t, Joe, I’m fine.”

“She’s lying, Joe,” Deb insisted. 

“Gina, is this true?”

Gina made eye-contact with Joe for a brief moment and bit her lip hard. Her eyes welled up and tears started silently dripping down her face. 

“Oh, Gina...” Corey said under her breath.


End file.
